Pecans

This article is part of a larger article titled "100+ Healthiest Foods On Planet Earth."  Read it here.

Pecans are a nut (technically a fruit) most commonly grown in the U.S., which is responsible for almost all pecan production worldwide. Perhaps best known for pecan pie, the pecan is not only great with desserts, it is also great to eat on its own, as part of bean burgers, roasts of all kinds, or even just caramelised. While you can eat pecans in a variety of ways, what is best about them is almost certainly their combination of nutrient density and cholesterol lowering effects. The pecan is high in healthy fats, essential minerals and long-termhealth benefits.

Nutritionally, pecans are a pretty common nut: high calorie, but with a lot of nutrients to back that up. 100g of pecans contains 690 calories, but for those calories you get a lot of protein and healthy fats: 9g of protein, 6g of saturated fat, 41g of monounsaturated fat and 22g of polyunsaturated fat. That’s a lot of good fats and not much saturated fat! Pecans are a great source of healthy fats, and especially great for diets low in protein and high in saturated fat.

Beyond this, 100g pecans contain 40% of your Daily Value (DV) of dietary fibre, 30% DV of magnesium, 13% DV of iron, 11% DV of potassium, and 10% DV of B6. What does all that mean? Well, it means avoiding deficiencies that could reduce your athletic and cognitive abilities, increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, leave you feeling tired or pale, and cause digestive problems. That’s a good list of things to avoid!

Beyond this, pecans also benefit from having some fantastic cholesterol lowering, cancer-fighting and cardiovascular benefits. A study into the cholesterol lowering properties of pecans and a diet high in monounsaturated fats showed that healthy men and women benefit from a diet enriched by pecans directly, with a significant improvement in cholesterol levels.

Beyond that, pecans have been shown to have a number of benefits when studied with other nuts: a study showed that frequent nut consumption has a positive effect on the proliferation of cancer and on free radical damage. In addition, nuts can help protect against cardiovascular disease; and even lower your risk of gallstone disease. That’s a lot of benefits!